Parking Services Charter

Allerdale Car Parks Charter

This is the Customer
Charter of Allerdale Borough Council in respect of the Off-Street
Public Car Parks which are owned and managed by the Council. It is
intended as confirmation of the Council's core values and to its
commitment to the highest standards of service.

All car park defects reported by the public
shall be checked within 6 working hours of the report being
received at the Car Park Office, and where there is a risk to the
public either a repair or appropriate remedial measures to make the
area safe, shall be ordered immediately.

No ticket machine shall be 'out of order' for
more than 3 hours for a minor repair and that 95% of all minor
repairs are rectified within 30 minutes.

No ticket machine shall be 'Out of Order' for
more than 24 'charging' hours for a major repair or vandalism, and
that 90% of these shall be repaired the next working day.

All lighting faults reported to the Car Park
Office will be passed for repair immediately, with a target
deadline for completion by the end of the next working day where
the fault lies with the Council's lights or equipment.

Patrols will take place several times a day, at
irregular intervals on all Pay & Display Car Parks in any town
during charging hours. (*)

Random patrols and security checks will take
place on non 'Pay & Display', peripheral and rural car parks.
(*)

All patrols shall inspect any car park visited
for serviceability of equipment and condition of the car park, and
shall report defects daily - and matters presenting a public risk
immediately by radio or telephone, where these are
noted.

All ticket machines on a 'Pay & Display' car
park are clearly identified by signs and that each displays correct
information concerning the tariffs and parking charges applicable
to the car park where it is situated.

All "Pay & Display" car parks will be swept
every day and litter bins emptied at the same time.

Non "Pay & Display", peripheral and rural
car parks will be swept once per week and the litter bins emptied
at the same time.

On the main 'Pay & Display' car parks there
shall be sufficient machines to ensure that there is always a
machine in service and able to issue tickets correctly.

Graffiti will be removed from machinery and
signs within 7 days of notification, with the exception of 'Racist'
or 'Lewd & Offensive' remarks - which shall be removed
immediately or as soon as is practicable.

Customers will be treated with care and
respect.

All users in breach of the Council's
requirements for use of a public car park shall be penalised.

All persons damaging, or creating a public
nuisance on public car parks shall be prosecuted whenever
possible.

Every 'appeal' against the enforcement of a
Penalty Notice shall be treated individually and strictly upon its
own merits, and that no Penalty shall rise to the full amount,
where such an appeal is received within 14 days from the date of
issue of the penalty, and that, in those cases, the Penalty shall
be maintained at its lowest amount until the Council's decision has
been made and passed to the appellant in writing.

Every appeal shall be determined within ten (10)
working days, or advice given within that timescale when a decision
may be expected.

We will strive to maintain and improve our
standards of customer service through careful monitoring.

Our customers are kept
informed about matters affecting the car park service and are
consulted about public service issues.

(*) The purpose of 'Patrols' is to 'Regulate' a car park and to
determine its fitness for use and seek to deter vehicle crime.
Regrettably the Council will not accept responsibility for crime,
damage or loss from any vehicle or to any user of its car parks
except where this has resulted from an error, act or omission on
the part of the Council or its staff.